


Silence

by Happykiss



Category: Ylvis
Genre: Far too sweet, Gen, Lots of Crying, Norges Herligste
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-29 10:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3892558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Happykiss/pseuds/Happykiss
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Have you seen me? I'm not ok. How did this happen? How is that even possible? By the laws of physics it's impossible for something like this to be true!" His cheeks were flushed and his eyes wide and scared, filling slowly with tears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Another one? Do we really have to?"

Vegard whined and let his head drop to the table with a dull thud. Both brothers and their crew were sat in a shoddy little roadside diner near the motorway. They had just finished eating the very over-cooked breakfast and were now discussing their next trip and possible interviewee for their program.

In this area they had found three possible cases suitable for filming, a man who build furniture out of cardboard boxes, an old lady performing circus tricks with her eight cats and another women who ran a store for witchcraft accessories and claimed to be a real life wicca.

Bård snorted loudly at his big brother's behavior.

"Just because the supernatural won't agree with you, doesn't mean we can pass up such an opportunity. We all thought the witch lady would be a great contestant!"

Knut and Nico nodded in agreement but Vegard still hadn't lifted his head. "Nei, nei, nei, we already had that shaman showing off his otherworldly tricks and don't get me started on Ma Pantha Anjana!" he groaned into the sticky surface. "Let's just go with the cardboard dude!"

Bård reached over the table into Vegards dark curls and pulled his head up, earning him a dark look in return.

"Don't be such a baby about it Vegard. Anyways, you have been overruled, so suck it up."

Then younger Ylvis stood up abruptly and clapped his hands in the same energetic fashion his brother usually applied.

"Next stop, Hekserkvinnen!"

\--------------------------

The store at least didn't disappoint.

It was hard to say which senses got offended the worst because the place was a cluttered mess and the smell was the disgusting mix of badly rotten and sickly sweet.

The many shelves were overstuffed with books about witchcraft, spells and nature goddesses, dozens of potions in vials and small bottles as well as an seemingly endless stock of candles. The wall behind the till was covered in an array of dried herbs, feathers and small wooden beads.

At the back of the store was another door which was covered by a thick black curtain and a sign proclaiming the entry to be off limits.

The 20-something year old witch, Hella, had put her focus entirely on Bård as soon as the brothers had entered the store.

Typically, Vegard remembered, all of the more 'spiritual' cases they had come across so far usually preferred to talk to the younger brother, his mind being all open and accepting of their weird lifestyle. He could be quite gullible sometimes.

The so called wicca looked rather plain and ordinary to be honest.

A small, slim girl with mousy brown hair and no absurd facial features whatsoever. It was a little disappointing. Vegard had already jokingly told her that it would be better for business if she would have some warts in her face, a large crooked nose or at the very least a pointy hat. Hella however had not laughed.

"What a childish thing to say. If you must be rude you can sit over there and keep quiet." she hissed at him.

Bård had to bite into his fist to keep from laughing out loud. That was the second time Vegard had been told off and to be silent, it seemed to become a new trend these days.

His brother just glared at the witch but then shrugged his shoulders and turned to wait at the back for Bård to finish the interview.

The smell seemed to be getting worse by the minute, how in the world could Bård stay charming and pleasant was beyond his understanding. But this was what actually made their teamwork so unique, even if one of them wasn't connecting there was always the other to get the job done.

Vegard pulled his scarf up over his nose to block that awful smell and concentrated to only breath through his mouth. The stench seemed even stronger at the far end of the shop. He eyed the black curtain suspiciously and glanced over to the others, to see if they had finished yet. No such luck, the witch was showing his little brother some of the crystals for a spell of good fortune.

The camera was trained on Bård but Nico glanced his way and nodded meaningful towards the shady back room. Vegard sighed but pushed the curtain aside, to find out if there was something hidden there that would actually be useful for filming. Most likely, in a couple of minutes Nico would get the woman's attention and send her to look for Vegard so she could yell at him for ignoring the off-limits sign. What a glorious moment on TV!

Vegard shook his head and pushed through.

"Herregud!" He exclaimed after entering the dim little room. Apparently it served as a sort of kitchenette slash storage, with plenty of boxes stacked high towards the ceiling and there was a huge iron kettle sitting on the stove. The ever present smell seemed to emit from whatever was cooking inside and was now sheer overwhelming.

It made Vegard gag a little.

Stepping closer, he carefully lifted the lid and peered inside, revealing a bubbling green liquid. There were small bits and pieces floating around in the goo.

Wait, was that a bone?

Despite the unbelievable stink, Vegards curiosity was piqued and he took a long, somewhat dirty ladle from the sink and started fishing around in the gooey mess.

Pulling the ladle back out, now filled with slimy liquid and various other contents he brought it closer to his face, unsure how to proceed. Should he poke at it with his finger?

There was something floating to the surface. Small, round and milky white.

He shook the ladle a bit and the little ball turned over, staring up at him. It was an eye.

"What the hell are you doing back here?" the witch suddenly screamed at him.

"Whaa-" Vegard yelped and jumped in surprise, covering himself in the gooey liquid.

"Ow, ow- fucking Christ, it's in my mouth!" He spat and furiously and wiped at his face, while the rest of the foul soup was dripping down his neck onto his jumper. However there was no trace of the disgusting little animal eye. Of course the camera was now fully trained on him, the others inside the small room as well and everyone was laughing hard about his except Hella.

The wicca looked ready to explode in anger, her dull eyes had taken a dangerous glint and her mouth was pulled into a tight line. Vegard thought she was definitely more witchlike then before.

"You had no right to come in here and snoop about. This draught had not been finished, who knows what you have done to yourself now, you idiot! All of you, get out!" she screeched.

Bård had stopped laughing and lifted his hands in a non-threatening gesture. "I'm sorry Hella. Please excuse my brother, he didn't mean any harm." He shot Vegard an annoyed look.

His brother in turn shrugged his shoulders in a small apologetic way and continued to wipe at his clothes, looking a bit dazed.

"No, you leave now. I have work to do," she snapped and pointed her index-finger towards the exit. While the team started shuffling out backwards, so they could keep the camera on the brothers, Bård grabbed his sibling by the elbow and started dragging him along when the dark haired man made no move of his own.

As annoyed as he was with Vegard, it seemed strange how little reaction he showed now, hopefully he hadn't been burned too badly or gotten himself poisoned. That was just what they didn't need right now.

As Vegard passed the witch, her hand shot out and she gripped his wrist tightly. "Whatever happens to you, there is only yourself to blame. Your actions always have consequences!" she hissed at him and then turned around to tend to the stove.

Bård felt his brother give a shudder at her words and continued to pull him outside the store.

Once out, Vegard took a deep breath, cleansing his nose and lungs of the lingering smell.

"Are you hurt?" Bård asked him quietly and Vegard shook his head, then received a punch to his shoulder. "Ow, stop that."

"You just had to go and make her mad, didn't you? I thought we were all professionals here?" He scolded his older brother. "I hope we got enough material to fill the episode, otherwise we just wasted a whole day on this crap. And why did you pick today, to wear one of my jumpers? I'm sure that mess is never coming out," he ranted on.

Vegard looked down on his soiled clothes, wincing and hanging his head. He had really messed this up and it wasn't a pleasant feeling to get chewed out by his little brother in front of the whole team. Usually it was the other way around. And to make it worse the camera was still rolling. Hopefully they would all laugh about it in a couple of weeks.

"Vegard? You there?"

Apparently Bård had still been talking to him. "You look a bit spaced out. Sure you are okay?"

Vegard let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, no worries. Let's get out of here. I really want to take a shower."

So they packed up the equipment and made their way to the hotel.  
\-------------  
Of course Vegard got sick!

It started while they were having dinner at the little pub next to their hotel. Right after eating the first few bites of his meal, he started hugging his stomach and his face turned an odd shade of green. Excusing himself, he rushed off towards his room.

When Bård retired for the night a couple of hours later, there were still the distinct sounds of retching to be heard from inside his brothers room, right opposite his own. He sighed and knocked softly.

"Vegard, are you ok? You need me to get you anything?" he called through the closed door. He'd rather not enter and be confronted with a barfing big brother if he could avoid it.

"I think I'm nearly done now. Go to bed I'll see you tomorrow," came the muffled reply.

Whenever Bård was ill he could always count on Vegard to turn into full mother-hen mode and take care of him, getting more blankets or fetching drinks and medicine for him. But when their roles were reversed the big brother prefered to suffer in silence and self appointed solitude. Which served Bård just fine, to be honest.

"Right! Try to sleep a bit, we're back on the road tomorrow. Good night!" he called and entered his own room.

After finally emptying the whole contents of his stomach into the toilet, until there was only dry heaves and yellow bile left, Vegard then dragged himself to the bed and twisted himself tightly into the blanket. Even leaving the thick covers on, which he usually took off for the night. But right now he was shivering so badly and covered in cold sweat.

Maybe he even had a fever but he was too tired check. His only hope was to feel better in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

"Where is your brother?"

"Well, good morning to you too Knut!" Bård sarcastically greeted the other man. He had just approached the team, minus Vegard, at the all-you-can-eat style breakfast.

Usually Bård was the last one to show up in the morning but it wasn't hard to guess that his brother was probably still asleep after the night he must have had.

"I'll go and get him then. But don't expect any miracles, we probably won't hit the road for another couple of hours," he volunteered and turned back to the stairs.

Not bothering with knocking, he entered Vegards room and shivered at the cold temperature inside.

The window was open and the curtain flowing in the wind, most likely to get rid of the vomit smell but his brother must have forgotten to close it again during the the night. Slamming the window shut, he turned to the bed and smirked at the sight.

Vegard had buried himself under the blankets and looked like a caterpillar, no limbs sticking out and not even the dark mop of curly hair showing.

"Time to wake up, princess!" Bård cheerfully called out and started removing the thick throw. Then he stared at the shape under the remaining blanket and began patting the space where his brothers legs were supposed to be. But there was nothing.

The lump under the covers appeared to be rather small now.

"What in the devils name-" Bård started to say but stopped, suddenly speechless. He had started to pull the blanket down and an finally uncovered his brother.

It was Vegard, all right but there was something seriously wrong with him. The normally snug fitting pyjamas were nearly swallowing Vegards small frame now and where his long black hair should reach down to his neck, there was the thick unruly crop of short curls which he clearly remembered from when their mother had still applied their haircuts.

He was looking at a small child, maybe 5 or 6 years old.

But it was definitely his brother, of that he was sure because he remembered him exactly like this from their shared childhood. How was that even possible?!

"Vegard? Wake up!" Bård had dropped down next to his brother and gently shook his shoulder, relived that the kid seemed to be alive and well but also freaked out to feel the presence to be solid. It wasn't a dream then!

The boy's eyes fluttered open and the dark brown orbs looked into his brothers blue ones.

Then the kid spoke.

"Man, what time is it? Did I oversleep? Gosh, that was the worst night ever," the child yawned and sat up. Bård was staring open-mouthed, while Vegards legs dangled over the edge of the bed not reaching the floor.

The boy looked at the ground, at his long pyjamas and then up at his brother who stood silently in front of him. He frowned, his forehead turning into tiny soft wrinkles and his nose scrunched up in thought, as he tried to process the for ideas he looked at his brother again.

"Did you do something? A Prank? Replace my clothes maybe?" His young voice started so sound a little shrill.

Bård still hadn't found his ability to speak, but shook his head vehemently, his blond hair flying from side to side. Having no better idea and still shocked beyond belief he just pointed towards the mirror on the other side of the room and watched helplessly as the child turned his head.

The scream that followed probably could have been heard all over Scandinavia.

Wide eyed, Vegard had jumped from the bed and now stood on tiptoes in front of the mirror. He was panting so hard that Bård was afraid he would hyperventilate if he didn't calm down soon.

"Come on, slow breaths into your hands, that's it Vegard!"

The blond had dropped on his knees next to his frantic brother and grasped his shoulders firmly, tearing his view away from his reflection.

"Everything will be fine. You are ok."

The kid hitched his breath and stared unbelieving into Bårds face, then started yelling at him.

"Have you seen me? I'm not ok. How did this happen? How is that even possible? By the laws of physics it's impossible for something like this to be true!" His cheeks were flushed and his eyes wide and scared, filling slowly with tears.

He was actually looking quite cute really, Bård thought and smiled a little. 

"Don't you dare laugh! I can't be like this."

And then he finally gave into his tears and buried his face in Bårds chest, sobbing harshly.

There was a knock on the door. "Everything alright in there? We heared screaming," a strong male voice called from outside the door.

"Yeah, sorry about that, my brother had a little accident and fell out of bed. He's fine though!" Bård tried to sound as calm and cheerful as possible.

"Sir, we need you to open the door please. Otherwise we have to call the police," the man insisted.

"Shit!" Vegard swore and started to rub his eyes and nose with his long sleeve, then gave Bård a thumbs up to open the door.

"There you see, nothing wrong with him." Bård smiled sweetly at the manager, who had surrounded himself with two of the maids in order to overthrow the possible child-beater. Bård couldn't really blame him though, that scream from Vegard would have alerted every respectable guest in the hotel. He himself would have been the first to break down the door.

The kid still stood in the same place but gave a wave towards the staff. "I had a nightmare, sorry."

The manager looked a little embarrassed but one of the cleaning ladies went over and tousled the boys hair. "Don't worry about it honey. Here have a sweet," she reached into her apron and produced a hand full of complimentary chocolate for the little boy. He gave her a fake but enormous smile in return. The hotel staff left and Bård closed the door with a huff.

"Naturally, while I nearly get arrested they feed you with chocolate. How is that even fair?" he laughed a bit at the morbid situation. Vegard still stood and stared at the sweets, seemingly not knowing what to do with them. He put them on the bed and offered one to his brother, who unwrapped it and popped it into his mouth.

"So, what are we going to do?" Vegard asked in a small voice, looking lost and so young.

"Don't fret, we just have to go back to the witch and tell her to turn you back!" Bård stated, still chewing on the chocolate and the kid frowned at him again.

Strangely enough, Bård could not remember his brother to have been such a serious child, it must be an influence from the adult-Vegard.

"You think she did it? That gunk from the store caused this?"

"Well I can't think of anything else. But before we go, maybe you will need something to wear," Bård roamed around in the suitcase next to the bed, tossing several items at his brothers feet. "If you fold the sleeves up a couple of times the shirt will be fine, and use the belt for the looseness."

The kid looked at him in horror. "I still won't have any trousers. I can't go around in some sort of dress!"

"Ah, I got an idea, wait here I'm back in a minute." Bård grinned at him and raced out the door.

Left with nothing else to do, Vegard went and gave himself a bit of a wash, brushed his teeth and tried to comb his hair. But it hurt when he started to pull the brush through, just as it used to when his mother had done it many years ago and he just left it as it was. Short hair was supposed to be easier to maintain anyways.

He heard the door slam shut and Bård came waltzing in with an armful of kids clothes. "Big brother saves the day! Here, these are from another guest I saw at breakfast, she's got 3 boys and one of them looked about your size. I just told her you peed your pants." Bård laughed at his brothers face and seemed to enjoy himself immensely. "I even got you shoes!"

Vegard huffed in annoyance. "First of all, I'm still the older brother! Just give me the stuff and shut up."

While Vegard got dressed, his brother addressed the more pressing matters. "What are we going to tell the guys? They are still waiting tor us."

"We could tell them I'm still too ill to work and give them the day off. They won't like it but I'd rather they don't see me like this," he announced while walking out of the bathroom. If he was embarrassed at the Pokémon sweatshirt, at least he didn't show it.

"Let's go!"

\-----------------------------

"What do you think you are doing? For obvious reasons you can't drive the car!" Bård laughed and grabbed the keys from his brothers hand. "I'm not even sure you're allowed to ride without a booster seat."

"Just fold your jacket and I'll sit on it, no one will notice. And if I remember correctly you were driving years before you even got your license." Vegard replied while strapping himself in on the passenger side.

"I know that, but at least I was 15, not 5!"

"I was always small for my age so I'm definitely more like 8 years old," Vegard argued.

Bård rolled his eyes at his brother. "Yeah, that's so much better, thanks for setting that straight kiddo. By the way, I told the crew that you were still very sick, maybe needing the hospital sometime soon."

Vegard looked up in surprise. "Why?"

The blond Ylvis shifted uncomfortably in his seat, not looking at Vegard. "Well, we don't really know if the woman will be willing to reverse the spell. We can't know how long it will take." - or if it was even be possible to do such a thing, he thought to himself.

"Oh!"

Realization dawned on the kid. "It might take a while you mean? Good thinking, if it takes longer to reverse the spell we use the hospital excuse and instruct the guys to do some editing without us."

He then thought of something else. "Also I texted Helene to let her know that I won't be able to talk to her because I have a severe case of laryngitis."

What a mess this was, Bård thought to himself. What would they do if Vegard stayed like this? No, he would think about the what-ifs when they got to that point. Right now he had to put on a brave front for the sake of his brother, because he was the adult in charge after all. And anytime soon they would arrive at the shop.

"Look over there, something is burning." Vegard pointed his finger towards a thick black column of smoke, rising up to the sky.

Bård narrowed his eyes. "Uh oh, I have a very bad feeling about this." He stepped his foot down on the gas and after only a couple of minutes they had arrived at their destination.

A flock of people was gathered on the street opposite the shop and two fire trucks were parked nearby. Sure enough the whole house was already darkened with soot from the flames and even though the fire had mostly been extinguished, the damage was severe.

"Excuse me, do you know Hella from the shop downstairs?" Bård asked one of the faces turned to him and the previous conversations ceased immediately.

"Funny you should ask, we were just talking about that. My friend Karl here saw how the fire started just about an hour ago. Isn't that right Karl?"

The small old face of Karl nodded.

"He said, it was an explosion of some sort. Right there where the store used to be. And even more curious, if you ask me, is that he saw the girl running off right before the big bang started. Just off and left, she did! Makes you think, doesn't it? Might 'of set her own place on fire!" Karl's friend mused, very happy to be the center of attention even though he didn't actually see anything happen himself.

"You think she did this?" Vegards voice vibrated and he looked just as scared as he had this morning. His hope of reversing the spell was melting away fast, just like the many candles the witch had collected in her shop.

"Now there young man, we don't want to go spreading nasty rumours and silly gossip about," an elderly woman insisted sternly. "That little lady was a good girl and wouldn't ever have done such a thing."

"Do you know her then? Could you tell us were we can find her? It's very important," Vegard nearly yelled at her.

"Hush child, didn't you ever lern any manners? You don't go and make demands of your elders," she hissed down at him and received a glare in return. Before the situation could get out of hand Bård grabbed his brother by the neck and pushed him gently towards their Volvo.

"Go and wait by the car Vegard."

"But I-"

"Now little brother! Don't make me walk you over there," he warned in his best imitation of a stern fathers voice. And surprisingly enough it worked and Vegard stomped off to the other side of the road and climbed into the car. Slamming the door shut behind him.

The elderly woman looked rather impressed with Bårds firm handling of his brother. "Are you a friend of Hella, dear?" she asked him sweetly.

"Well, sort of. We met only yesterday when we filmed her for our tv program. I've got some more questions and she told me it was alright to come by again," he lied smoothly.

"Oh yes, I remember her telling me about that. She was very exited. You look like a decent young man, so I trust you not to get her into any trouble. She's probably gone off to her mothers, who lives a bit further up the mountains in some sort of convent," the lady kept yammering on and on but in the end Bård had gotten the directions out if her. By now even the firefighters were leaving the destroyed building and began packing up their gear.

"Took you long enough," Vegard huffed as Bård slid into the drivers seat.

"The old lady was right, you got no manners. If you don't behave I won't tell you what I found out about our missing witch," he teased his brother and laughed when Vegard stubbornly crossed his arms over his thin chest and started pouting.

Bård filled him in anyways and they decided not to return to the hotel but instead pursue their witch-hunt. There were still some of their clothes in the trunk and they would only have to buy toiletries' and some more things to wear for Vegard on the way.

\------------------------------

"Have you brushed your hair at all in the last couple of days?" Bård glanced at his brothers messy head. "It looks like random small animals might be moving in there soon!"

Instead of an answer, Vegard patted his hair down a bit, "It's fine how it is."

"Don't think I forgot about the tantrums you used to throw when Mamma had to comb through that mess after you neglected to do it yourself for weeks," Bård had just finished cleaning himself up as much as possible while they were still on the road without a decent hotel to be found.

Their search had proven to be much more difficult than they had first anticipated. The instructions from the old lady were very vague to begin with and it seemed whenever they asked someone about the way to the convent, they got send in all sorts of wrong directions. The last two weeks they had been driving non stop, mostly even sleeping in the car during the night. To say it showed was the understatement of the year.

"Come on, I'll give it a try. I'm very skilled at brushing the kids hair." Bård offered with a smirk, tossing the brush from one hand to the other. He had already noticed Vegard's fight or flight posture and knowing his brother wasn't much of a fighter, the bigger man was ready as soon as the kid started to bolt. Grabbing him from behind, it was ridiculously easy to trap both of his brothers arms and still have a hand free to start working the brush through the tight curls while Vegard wailed.

"Stop! It hurts, please leave it alone. BÅRD!" the kid's shrieks could be heard through the Woods. He was sobbing in earnest by now but his brother was not impressed, after all he had been the onlooker to this spectacle during many years of growing up with each other.

"Oh hush your breath, I'm nearly done. One would think I'm beating you up by the god awful noise you are making. There, I'm finished. Clean and pretty again," with that he released his hold on Vegard and spun him around. Even in distress, he was still a truly beautiful child and Bård decided it was now or never for a much needed talk. He got down on one knee and looked into his brothers tear-streaked face.

"You know, if we really can't find that woman and there is no other way out of this situation, you come and live with me and Maria. The girls always wanted an older brother and I know you are an expert in that field," he saw Vegard swallow hard and opening his mouth to speak, so he quickly continued before his courage left him again.

"I've been thinking about it a lot and somehow I just don't think the parents would be able to cope with this whole thing so well. And you would have to share a room with Bjarte - nobody would want THAT!"


	3. Chapter 3

Before Vegard was able to reply there was a high pitched scream to be heard from deep inside forrest.

The brothers looked at each other briefly and then started running as one towards the trees. Very soon Vegard started having trouble to keep up with his brothers pace. His short legs just not able to run as fast.

"Go on, I'm right behind you," he shouted. Bård hesitated for a moment but the same yell as before helped him along with this decision.

"Head back to the car so you won't get lost, I don't want to report a child missing in the woods later!" he called back before running off again.

Panting hard and dropping down on a thick tree stump, Vegard grumbled to himself. "Getting lost! Who's the one with the survival training then?"

He stayed there a little while longer to rest before following his brothers trail. Meanwhile, he thought about what Bård had told him earlier.

He was angry that his brother had already given up the hope of getting him returned to normal. Already making plans for him to come and live together, pretending to be like one of his kids.

And he was definitely angry about that blasted women creating this nightmarish situation and then disappearing to nowhere. 

But mostly, he blamed himself for being such an idiot in the first place, messing around with things he had deemed impossible and made fun of for as long as he could remember.

To be honest, he only had himself to blame and that made him furious and sad at the same time. Tears were stinging his eyes again and he angrily wiped them away. This had to stop!

As a grown man, he was not exactly the emotional type but as a child, crying had been an easy outlet for all kinds of feelings for him. It was during these last days that he could feel his adult-side giving way to the more childish influences on his mind. It felt a bit like a tug-o-war between young and old, mature and immature. For some time now he felt the child in him was winning and that scared him more than anything.

So far he had only forgotten small things, like the number of his bank account but there were more and more gaps in his memory. Certain people and places he had only knowledge of as a grownup.

He still remembered Helene but he couldn't connect any feelings to her anymore. Thinking of his mother on the other hand ignited a hot flare of longing in his heart. Most of all, he missed his baby brother.

No, that wasn't right! Bård was here somewhere.

The child got himself more and more upset by thinking about his dilemma and had not been paying any attention to where he was going. Most definitely not following his brothers path. By now he was quite sure he wouldn't find the way back to the car either.

"Great, just great. Now Bård will never shut up about me getting lost out here," Vegard gloomily thought to himself. Out of the corner of his eye he suddenly saw a flash of red behind one of the trees a little distance away. Was it a person?

"Hei, is somebody over there?" he called out. Instead of an answer there was a rustling noise and the mysterious someone started running away. It appeared to be a girl in a red cardigan, maybe a little older than his current self.

"No, wait! I need you to show me how to get out of this forrest," he shouted and started running after her.

\----------------------------------------

"Are you sure we're nearly there?" Bård asked for the 3rd time in the last hour.

"I've got to get back to my brother soon. He's only little and all by himself at the moment," he explained again.

As is was, he currently had a young woman draped across his back, her arms slung tightly around his neck and they were on the way to her home further up the hill. She had told him that she had been in the forrest picking mushrooms when a moose had crossed her path and startled her so much that she had taken a tumble down into a little river. The river had been all dried out this time of the year but she had sprained her ankle while falling. That was how Bård had found her and seeing no other choice, offered to see her home safely.

"Our grounds start just over there, can you see the iron fence?" she asked him patiently. Somehow she didn't seem very impressed that he had to neglect his kid brother for the sake of lugging her around. Bård grunted in acknowledgment and trudged on.

"You live with your family out here you said?" he asked to make some conversation.

"Just my sisters and our mother. We have no use for males in our community. The testosterone disturbs the natural balances," she informed him.

Apparently, men were tolerable enough to help getting home without having to walk, Bård thought to himself. But sure enough, there was the fence and now that he knew what to look for, he could see outlines of a house.

Not any old cabin but a big looming mansion. Somehow it looked out if place or rather out of time. It gave him a feeling of a long forgotten past. A shudder ran through his body and goosebumps were crawling up his arms.

Bård was close enough now to see the wooden front door open and three women came rushing out towards them. They must have been waiting and watching for their sister to return.

"Silvia, what happened?"

"Are you hurt?"

"Who is this young man?"

They all babbled away together at the same time, looking their sister up and down and giving Bård curious and coy glances.

"Children! Let him come in first so he can rest while we tend to Silvia's foot. Girl, get down now, you can walk well enough on your own!" another voice cut over from the house and there was a fourth woman standing there, not all that much older than the others but with a distinct air of authority surrounding her. Her fiery red hair was tied back in a tight bun. Was that their mother?

Sure enough though, Silvia slid off his back and walked with only a slight limp, grinning mischievously at Bård while passing him. He realized she played him for a fool. The girl had used him as a pack mule!

"I can't stay, I have to go back to my car and find my brother," he bit out angrily and made to turn back. But two of the girls grabbed his hands and pulled him along to the house. They were surprisingly strong.

"You will only get lost, these woods are tricky for those without knowledge. And your brother is on his way here right now. My eldest daughter will bring him shortly," the supposed matriarch replied.

Bård tried to shake the restraining hands off but they wouldn't let go. "How can you know that? Who are you?" he demanded to be told.

Her face softened. "You really can't guess yet? But you have been looking for me quite a while now. Hella is one if my daughters. Come in, I will try to explain," she told him softly and he was pulled inside the house.

\----------------------------

By now Vegard was thirsty, exhausted and very confused. He had been chasing that girl for a while but whenever he had gotten closer to her it seemed that she was filled with a new surge of energy and managed to run off again. It was an annoying game and he didn't feel like playing anymore.

Also he had fallen down a couple of times, stumbling over his own tired feet and managed to get himself scratched up on his hands and face.

To make matters worse, his mind seemed to become more and more muddled with every passing minute. He wanted to go home but he couldn't remember the way. He longed for his parents and could not recall when he had seen them last.

And where was his little brother? Vegard was supposed to be watching out for him, it was his most important job. Their mother would be very cross if he had lost him. He was the older one after all and Bård would be so scared, as he was only small...

Why was he inside the woods?

"Hello?!" a voice startled him from his thoughts. The girl in the red cardigan and short black hair smiled down at him. He hadn't noticed her approaching at all. As if she had appeared out of thin air. Like magic.

"Hey little boy, I will bring you to my mother now," she simply said.

"No! I'm not supposed to go with strangers," he told her firmly. He knew the rules very well and intended to follow them. He remembered that it was dangerous to leave with people he didn't know, even if she was a kid like him.

"But your brother is waiting for you there," she told him with a smile.

Then she nodded and held out her hand as an invitation for Vegard to come along. He didn't take it but went with her anyways.

\--------------------------------

At the mansion, the four women had persuaded Bård to sit down on an enormous sofa that creaked threateningly when he lowered himself, and were currently presenting him with tea and biscuits. The girls were laughing with each other and a strange air of calm and peacefulness was suddenly surrounding him but he still felt that his patience had finally run out.

"Where is Vegard? And what the hell is going on here?" he barked out. They quieted down immediately.

Opposite of him the redhead sat down."First of all, believe me when I say that I am very sorry for what happened to your brother. Hella, she was not allowed to temper with the potions," she spoke firmly while she helped herself to some tea as well.

"So, it really was that stuff that changed him? Are you truly witches then?" he was quite sure he already knew the answer. Instantly the girls started giggling but their mother silenced them with a look.

"Yes we are. My name is Gretta and my daughters and me choose to live here in solitude apart from the society, who still treat us with hatred and mistrust," she didn't sound angry or harsh about it, explaining it like a matter of fact. "This forrest has some enchantments, little tricks of the mind that don't really hurt anyone and protect us from those who mean us harm. That is why it took you so long to find us, it confuses the thoughts," she looked into his eyes to see if he understood what exactly she was trusting him with.

Bård swallowed loudly and nodded at her to continue.

"I decided to let you find us because of Hellas' interference with your lives. It is not something we do and I most definitely can't tolerate her actions. The draught that your brother came in contact with is an ancient recipe we use to stretch time and continue to linger in the present, it's not supposed to change physical appearance as much as prolong the momentary state. She should not have tried to recreate the potion by herself in the first place. It is forbidden."

Bårds brain was nearly ready to explode by now. To calm his mind, he made a list of the facts.

First, apparently witches were a real thing.

Second, they had a potion for eternal live.

Third, one of them had messed up his brother completely.

"Can you help Vegard?"

It was the only thing that mattered. Fuck the immortality and fairytales! He would plead and bargain for his brothers sake.

Gretta closed her eyes for a moment as if she was in deep thought. "I don't know."

Bård let go of the breath, he hadn't known he was holding and his new hope faltered a bit. "But you will try, won't you?" he all but begged.

"Yes," then she stood and gave her daughters a sign which made them clear the table and one if them hurried to open the door. In came yet another girl, a bit younger then the others, even though Bård knew now not to judge them by their appearance. And behind her trailing, like a lost puppy, was Vegard.

He looked a bit rough but otherwise unhurt. Bård jumped up and was about to pull him into a hug when he saw his brother flinch back and stare at him with frightened eyes.

"Vegard, what's wrong?" he dropped down on his knees as he had done so often in the last days. Instead of answering, the kid looked at the girl in red. "Where is my brother? You said Bård was here. You lied!" he shouted.

"But I am here, Vegard look at me," Bård tried again to catch the kids attention. Only this time it worked and they locked eyes. Vegards face showed confusion and distress at first but in the end there was also a glint of recognition. He fell into his brothers arms. "Oh Bard, it's all wrong! I don't know anything anymore. I just want to go home," he didn't cry this time but he was so scared that his whole body shook with small tremors.

Bård didn't know what to do, so he held him, stroking circles up and down his back and muttering stupid, reassuring nonsense into Vegards ears.

Until Greta cleared her throat. "Silvia, go and fetch your sister. You others will check if the preparations are complete. Boys, come with me," the brothers straightened up and followed her up the stairs and into a spacious room on the first floor. There on the ground were several symbols, some of them easy to identify like the sun, moon and stars or the black and white sign for yin and yang. But there were many others that Bård could imagine had been lost and forgotten over the past hundred or thousand years.

"Please sit," their hostess said and they obediently flopped down in the middle of the room. The witch kneeled in front of Vegard and gently stroked her fingers over the bloody scratches on his face. Slowly they started to fade away. Then she blew lightly against his lips and Vegard thought it must feel just like the air from a butterflies' wings. His hunger and thirst had vanished with it and a sudden sleepiness came over him.

One after the other, the girls entered the room, all of them humming in tune together while carrying a white candle each. The last one to enter was Hella.

Suddenly filled with rage, Bård jumped up and was about to confront the witch but Gretta held up one hand to stop him. "She's been punished already, the shop she had worked so hard to get my permission for, is gone forever and her voice has been banned for an uncertain amount of time."

The younger Ylvis then had a good look at the witch and he noticed to his horror that though her face seemed fine, a closer look revealed that somehow her lips were merged together tightly. She didn't meet his gaze but stared at Vegard intensely.

Protectively, he stepped in front of the kid to block her view. "You've done enough, don't you think?" the blond snapped but she didn't react to him.

"Hella told me she didn't mean for this to happen, but she is still young for one of us and has much to learn. We have tried to recreate the draught in the unfinished state that Vegard had contact with and we will try to counter and reverse it now."

One of the girls had laid a thin blanket on the floor and helped Vegard lie down. It worried Bård how little complaint his brother voiced and that he didn't demand any explanations. He was obedient and silent. Bård hated it!

The girls stood in a circle around him, each on a different symbol and Greta knelt next to Vegard, opening a small vial and pouring a couple of drops into the child's mouth. Then they started chanting, first quietly and then getting louder and louder. What language they were singing in was beyond Bårds understanding.

Gretta had her hands now stretched out over Vegards chest and forehead, the child appeared to be in a deep slumber.

"What's going on? Is it working? What are you doing to him?" Bård was wound tight with panic while the whole room seemed to vibrate with some kind of energy.

The woman's face was nearly white now and little drops of sweat began to collect on her temples. "I can't get to him, I should be able to loosen the spell but something is blocking me. There is only silence, so heavy I can't reach through it to him."

She sounded exhausted and a tad annoyed. The girls were still chanting, their eyes now clenched shut in concentration. They probably wouldn't be able to continue much longer.

Suddenly, without reason, something turned in Bårds mind. It was like someone had opened a locked door in his brain.

Of course! Be silent! Of course!

He fell to his knees next to Vegard, not daring to touch and interfere but he had to try. "There was a woman we met a little while back. She was a spiritual healer and had all those cards and predictions. She got angry at Vegard and I think she might have cursed him," he let the words rush out.

Gretta looked up at him in surprise and then gave a sharp nod. "Get me a knife," she yelled. One of the daughters, Bård didn't remember her name, rushed towards them with a heavy, silver dagger which the witch grabbed and sliced Vegards shirt open in one fluid motion. And before Bård could stop her she had made a small incision between the kids chest and throat. It looked like a small cross and a tiny little trail of blood flowed from it.

Bård gasped sharply and his brothers eyes fluttered open just once. Meanwhile the girls had ceased their singing and Gretta all but collapsed on Vegard. "It is done, now we can only wait," she panted breathlessly.

Soon the night would come but Vegard hadn't woken up again since the end of the ordeal and the girls had prepared a bed in one of the many rooms. After Bård had gently tucked into bed, he could do nothing but sit and stare at his brother.

Because of the madness that was their life during the last week or just because he needed some comfort himself, Bård quietly started to sing an old lullaby. Their grandmother had sang it for them sometimes at bedtime when they were still small and he had relearned it a couple of years ago to sing to his own children.

At one point he fell asleep too, his own hand tightly clasping Vegards.


	4. Chapter 4

Epilogue

Vegard dreamt.

He knew it was a dream and that he must be asleep but somehow he wasn't able to wake himself up. Which was a rather strange occurrence, as far as dreams went.

Looking around him, he seemed to be engulfed in a cloud of thick, white fog. It wasn't possible to see any further than the length of his arms but somehow it didn't frighten him. He could walk around endlessly but nothing changed about his surroundings. Ther was nothing but whiteness.

The thing that struck him the most was the absence of any kind of sound. He couldn't even hear himself breathe.

Maybe he didn't. Did that mean he was dead?

How curious, he could not remember dying. Actually, at the moment he could not remember much at all. Did one dream in the afterlife?

He sat down in the fog and did nothing. He didn't speak, or see, or think. He just was, maybe he would remain or just fade away into nothingness. Forever or never.

Suddenly everything changed.

Out of nowhere there was a sharp pain just above his sternum and he gasped once. For a second his eyes glanced the sight of his brother's worried face staring down at him.

Then he was alone again in the fog. But now it was like a strong gust of wind was blowing it all away, clearing his senses.

It was just like a locked door being thrust open, instantly all the memories came rushing back to him. He was overwhelmed with images and feelings that defined him and had outlined his whole life. Laughter, pain, glee, sorrow and a whole lot of happiness.

Then there was music. So beautiful and pure.

It filled his soul and overtook his heart. Something tugged at his mind and without thinking he opened his mouth and let a melody float out he thought to be long forgotten, hadn't really thought of since he was very young but it kept coming to him as he went. At first his voice was the high tenor of a child's voice, beautiful and clear as a bell. Then it changed while he sang, maturing with more depth and richness.

The music set him free. No more silence.

He was still humming when he woke up. Slowly blinking his eyes, he stared straight up at the leafy green roof of the forrest. Sitting up, Vegard noted that he had been stretched out on a checkered blanket and his brother was snuggled up next to him, snoring softly and oblivious to the world.

Subconsciously he touched his own chest and registered a tender spot of skin right above his sternum, near the base of his throat. In the same moment he realized something.

"What the hell? Where are my clothes?" He let out an embarrassed sqeak and pulled the flimsy sheet that had been covering him entirely, up to his chin.

That in turn was enough to bring his brother around. "Vegard! You are normal again!" He all but yelled and threw himself at the other man and engulfing him in a might embrace.

"Bård, what is going on. Where are we? And why am I naked?" The older Ylvis mumbled helplessly into his brothers hair, while he was squeezed to hard against Bårds chest, he thought he might crack a rib.

"They did it. They really did! Gretta managed to reverse the spell and turn you back. You aren't a child anymore!" The little brother bubbled out excitedly while he varied between staring at Vegard and clapping his back enthusiastically. "Of course, you couldn't fit into your Pokemon outfit anymore! Very clever of them to undress you!"

Oh god, Bård had lost his mind! "What on earth are you on about? Who undressed me? What spell? Did you hit your head?"

Now it was Vegard who grabbed his brother's head tightly and started to scan the scalp from side to side in order to find evidence of a possible trauma. But Bård shook him loose.

"No you ninny, I wasn't the one who got turned into a mini-me after carelessly taking a sip of witch-brew. And to have been cursed to begin with! You should really thank Gretta and the girls for all that they have done, but I guess the enchanted trees will keep us from going back there again. And while you're at it you could also thank your fantastic brother for getting you out of that mess!" Bård ranted.

Still, the older man could do nothing but stare. "Did you actually listen to what you just said? It doesn't only sound crazy, but completely mental. And no more talk about curses and such superstitious nonsense, you know those things aren't real, right?!" Vegard firmly insisted.

Bård shook his head stubbornly.

He wanted to argue, to tell his older brother of the things he had learned. The things he knew for sure to be true. But at the same time he couldn't quite remember what he going to argue about.

"Oh bloody hell, now I am forgetting it too. Clever really, those witches," he threw his arms up in defeat and stood up. One hand stretched out he pulled Vegard up with him, while his brother was doing his best to keep the sheet wrapped modestly around his body.

"Really, now you are going shy? Believe me when I say there is nothing I haven't seen before. I even gave you a bath last week!" He exclaimed at Vegards shocked face, while at the same time the memory of a little raven haired boy sitting sulkingly in a bubble bath slowly fainted from his mind.

"You what?"

Bård scratched the back of his head, he was forgetting rapidly and he knew soon he wouldn't be able to recall the last week at all. But maybe it was better that way. He just had to accept it.

"I don't know, I think you were ill or something. Maybe I was about to get you to the hospital, I think that's what I told the guns. Beats me how we ended up here though," he struggled to put the puzzle together which had fallen apart so quickly since they woke, only a couple of minutes ago.

"I really don't remember anymore. Perhaps it was contagious and I got sick too and we didn't make it to the hospital?" he looked at Vegard but his brother shrugged his shoulders helplessly.

It didn't make any sense but they decided it was better just not to burden themselves with whatever had happened to them. It seemed easier that way.

They were at the car now and Bård popped the trunk of it open. An untidy mess of clothes were strewn in the back and Vegard blindly grabbed whatever looked the cleanest and got dressed.

Suddenly they both felt the pressing urge to leave and never to return.

Bård had settled comfortably on the passenger side while Vegard drove them back to the main road. Finally leaving the blasted forrest behind, they simultaneously gave a deep sigh and followed the directions from Vegards phone home.

Well concealed and hidden from anyone's sight by an overgrown shrub, there was an old wooden sign.

'Seven Witches Hill. Do NOT enter. DANGER for life'

the end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to admit this story didn't deserve such an ending, I just wanted to wrap it up and this was an easy way out. Sorry for that. I feel that there is so much more potential and maybe I will write another piece at one point about 'little Vegard' (like what happened during the time they were on the road looking for the witches)  
> Anyways thank you for reading :)


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